Call masking: NCC sanctions telcos, bars 750,000 numbers

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sanctioned three companies and barred 750,000 numbers found to be connected to call masking.

Call masking is a technique used to hide numbers when making calls or sending messages.

In some cases, international numbers are masked with local numbers which are not charged, because the caller’s identity is completely hidden on the network.

In a statement signed by Tony Ojobo on Tuesday, the commission said the sanctioned entities were found to be directly and indirectly involved in several infractions.

“Including covertly allowing organisations with expired licenses to transit calls, failure to undertake due diligence on parties seeking to interconnect, deliberately turning a blind eye to masking infractions by interconnect partners, and using a licence issued to another organisation to bring-in and terminate international calls which were masked as local calls to other operators.”

“Accordingly, every service provider that has been sanctioned still has an opportunity to correct the identified anomalies and satisfy the commission that it should be allowed to continue to operate in Nigeria.”

NCC said the second stage, which has commenced, is focusing on mobile network operators and other persons involved in SIM-Boxing.